The Church of Saint Sebastian 67 Cole Ave., Providence, RI 02906

(401)751-0196 stsebastianri.org

Mass Schedule

Monday - Friday: 8am

Saturday: 9 am

Sunday:

Saturday, 5pm - cantor

Sunday, 10am: organ and

cantor

The Sunday 10am Mass is

celebrated with people in

attendance, as well as on

Facebook and Zoom.

Confessions:

Saturday at 4pm or by

appointment

Adoration of the Blessed

Sacrament

Monday - Friday, 7:15 - 8am

Parish Office Hours Closed until further notice

Parish Contact Information (410) 751-0196

August 30, 2020

Weekly Bulletin

Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips my

mouth shall praise you. Psalm 63:5-6

PARISH Directory and INFORMATION Directory

Parish Information: P: (401)751-0196 F: (401)273-2753 Web: https://stsebastianri.org/

Reverend Father Jordan Kelly, O.P. Pastor 401-500-2462 pastor@stsebastianri.org

Robert Short Pastoral Associate for Formation and Evangelization (401)751-0196 ext. 14 ssricgs@gmail.com Michael Sullivan Maintenance Megan Morrow Cantor Kathy Harrington Parish Accountant finance@stsebastianri@org Michael White Worship Editor Sarah M. Heaton Bulletin and Graphic Design Editor Parish Trustees Charles Rogers Catherine Taylor Parish Finance Council James Daly Ann Carnevale Elisa Vele-Tabaddor Douglas Nani Parish Council Sarah Garcia-Mata Mary Hill Jamie Hill Janice Opalenski Patricia Recupero Fred Reinhardt Robert Whelan Amy Thomas Karin Schrott Gerry Codola Catherine Denning Toni Dumville| Robert Lough

WELCOME to the CHURCH of SAINT SEBASTIAN In my own name and on behalf of the People of Saint Sebastian’s, welcome to our Parish! If you are visiting, coming back to the Church and Mass after some time away, or looking for a Parish, you are most welcome here at Saint Sebastian’s.

Parish Registration Registration is the official way we join a parish community, please stop in the Parish Office or register online to become a registered parishioner. To be considered an active registered member of the parish, members are asked to give of their time, talent and treasure. The parish is in need of and welcomes all three parts of your stewardship.

Sacrament of Baptism Congratulations on the birth of your child! We require all parents and godparents to attend Sacramental Preparation Classes. Once you have called the rectory to plan for the baptism of your child, we will have someone contact you to set up a special appointment for Preparation classes. These classes are usually done one on one with each family and are conducted by a couple who are well prepared to teach and assist in Baptismal Preparation.

Sacrament of Matrimony Congratulations on your engagement and decision to enter into a Catholic marriage! Saint Sebastian Parish will help you in your preparation to ensure that you make this serious and sacred step in your life a holy and happy one. The day and time of your wedding must be arranged in person by the prospective bride and groom themselves as soon as they feel called to marry. No arrangement can be made by phone or parents. All arrangements should be made nine months prior to the wedding date and done prior to scheduling the reception. The first meeting with the Pastor may be scheduled by calling the Parish Office at (401) 751-0196. Spiritual preparation is a key part of this special time. Frequent participation in the sacraments during this time is important, particularly weekly Mass attendance. It is also strongly recommended that you bring yourselves to the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this time of preparation.

Religious Education By their word and their example, parents are the first and principal teachers of their children concerning our Catholic Faith. The Religious Education of Saint Sebastian’s stands ready to assist parents in their sacred and most important responsibility. Should you have any questions about the program please contact Ms. Kristen Gold at ssriprimaryre@gmail.com or Mr. Bob Short at ssricgs@gmail.com

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Saint Sebastian’s also offers Level One, ages 3 - 6, of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, commonly referred to as CGS. CGS is a Montessori-based program of faith formation. Please contact Mr. Bob Short, Catechist, at ssricgs@gmail.com

Parish Auditors Ellen Boyle Jennifer Pizzuti

around the table in the Randall Room, we introduced ourselves while opening all the windows, propped open the door to the Room, as well as the door to the outside. We started off by reading aloud the selection from the 22nd chapter of Isaiah; and, after a minute or so of silent reflection we read last Sunday’s Gospel: the famous “You are Peter and on this Rock I will build my Church” section of Matthew’s Gospel. Both readings used the imagery of keys to describe the power vested in a person, the power to lock that which will not be unlocked and unlock that which will not be locked.

How does this affect us? In Isaiah the key which is described must be a very large and heavy one—it is described as being carried not in a pocket but on a shoulder. It is a different sort of view as leadership: it is a sacrifice, a duty, but also an opportunity. Why an opportunity? Priests share in Christ’s ministry to forgive sins, using those keys entrusted to Peter to unlock the chains that bind us. When this ended up being the exact thrust of our guest celebrant Fr. Jordan Zajac’s audacious homily on Sunday morning, the hair on the back of my neck stood up!

We read the second reading last. It is the end of chapter 11 in Romans—a rich and evocative prayer Paul uses to end his discussion about the role of the Jewish people who had not accepted Jesus in God’s vast plan. That is how it fits into Paul’s Letter to the Romans, but how does it fit in with the Sunday Readings, and how does it fit in our own lives? This question led to discussion of what it means to be chosen by God, and how in Christ we are able to call on the Eternal Father with the intimacy of a child. At about this point we slid back into the choice of Peter, and how Peter knew more than anyone that his call was purely the gift of God, and nothing that this loveable, brash, impulsive retired fisherman had earned. Finally, we arrived at the million-dollar question: Jesus’ question posed to Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Linked with this question, though, is a very timely question in this age of loneliness and anxiety: Who does Jesus say that we are? We chewed on that for the last fifteen minutes of the hour we spent together. Like Peter, several of us had received a new identity in following Jesus, even if we didn’t receive a new name!

I don’t remember when it happened, but at one point the conversation petered out into nothingness—a sort of living, holy, and grateful silence at the gift of Himself that God has given us.

It was a tremendous gift to be with these people and hear them open their hearts. God is a wonderful Father. He knows that He has to treat me differently from you, just like a parent knows the exact touch that works with each of their children. We learned so much by hearing another talk about how God has unfolded in their life. Even though this group arrived as strangers, we quickly developed a rapport and trust. We were able to have faith in each other due to our mutual faith in God, I suppose. It isn’t so bad to be dragged out of our comfort to

As Father Jordan would write, “may the Grace of Our Lord remain with us always!”

By the time you read this our Pastor will have returned. (That verb is in the future perfect tense, if any of my students happen to be reading this.) There is still time, however, for one more short essay. Two weeks ago I wrote about the loveliness of our weekday Masses at Saint Sebastian Church. Last week my subject was what a young Catholic in their 20s or 30s is looking for in a parish. In today’s column I am eager to pull everything together.

To do so I would like to tell you a bit about a Bible Study we have brought to the parish. It is not a program or a video; nor is it something of my own making. I first encountered this study about four years ago. Two young women started a Bible Study on Saturday afternoons, and a rotating cast would pack their Bibles and bring them to one of a rotating list of homes. The conversation always focused on the next day’s Sunday Mass readings, but many times these readings were a springboard to unexpected topics. Over Scripture and snacks we shared our joys and frustrations; asked for prayers and prayed with each other. Our discussions on the Bible readings always included some “head knowledge”—we referenced footnotes or shared half-remembered details of something heard once in a homily or a lecture—but the focus was always on the migration of this “head knowledge” to the heart.

Let me tell you how these sessions most profoundly affected me: Like you, it sometimes takes a lot of courage for me to talk about what God has done in my life and how much I love God, and how that love is dwarfed by God’s love for me. Like many of the men of the parish, I was raised to be a stoic New Englander, and am only slowly learning how to articulate my emotions! At this Bible study, I was exposed to people with an ability to speak directly and honestly about the power of God in their lives. They did so casually, like one might observe the weather at the beach or the finer points of a delicious meal. In time, I was able to follow their model and speak simply about my relationship with God without the slightest embarrassment. I can’t imagine I could teach Confirmation class without this experience!

As the St. Sebastian Parish Council discussed evangelization efforts in July and August, I remembered this particular Bible Study, and with a little encouragement, we decided to try this format at our Parish. Let me tell you how our first day went.

There were five of us: two parishioners; one person who just moved to the neighborhood this month; one of the FOCUS Missionaries from Brown University; and a visitor from a parish across town. Socially distanced

From MR. BOB

speak about our love of God. If you are a parent, and you want your child to have faith in their life, they will need to see you pray. Without your example recognizing the role of God in your life, it is unlikely they will ever learn to do so. Perhaps prayer together before bedtime is just what your family needs. Perhaps your teenager needs to hear what changed in your life that made you know that God exists, and not only exists but loves us.

You may have read those words and thought, “that seems impossible! I’m no holy roller!” You don’t have to be a street preacher! You just need to be yourself. Christianity, I think, is not a self-sufficient terrarium, beautiful but enclosed. It is most itself when it is slightly off balance, reaching out to someone new. You might just find out that you are most yourself in this reaching out as well.

The parish has a number of different initiatives in the works—both in-person and online—that will allow you to grow deeper in faith. Please keep up with the Parish bulletin so you can hear more about these other opportunities as they are rolled out! If the Bible Study I described in this column interests you, I hope you will consider coming to discuss the Sunday readings with us on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. We will meet in the Randall Room at the conclusion of the 9am Mass, and chat until 10:30. In September we will meet on the 12th and 26th. If anyone were to bring bagels, that would be a welcome treat!

At the beginning of this column, I said I would bring together my reflections of the last two weeks in the telling of this experience. How does the narrative of this Saturday Morning Bible Study achieve that goal? My shared story of myself and my fellow parishioners last Saturday highlight what every person is longing for, whether they acknowledge it or not. We all long for a place to belong; a place to pray; a place to be fed; and to be given a common mission. Saint Sebastian offers all of that and more! Through morning Masses and the community they create; through beautiful Sunday liturgies that cultivate the rich heritage of our Catholic Liturgical Life; and through Saturday Morning Bible Studies that feed us, unite us, help us to pray, and send us forth to be slat and light in an often dark and tasteless world!

As Father Jordan would say, “Each One: Reach One”: invite somebody to come to Saint Sebastian with you!

In the Lord,

Bob Short

From MR. BOB, (CONT) JOIN us IN PRAYER MASS Intentions

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29

The Passion of Saint John the Baptist 9am: For the healing of our Church and Country

4pm: Confessions

5pm: Anticipated Mass for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary

Time

+ Cecelia Jane Magaldi on her 10th Birthday, and for the living and deceased members of our Parish

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 10am: + Edward Michael Fogarty on the 3rd

Anniversary of his death

MONDAY, AUGUST 31 – 8AM IN CHURCH

Weekday

+ Mary Jo Smith

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1– 8AM IN CHURCH

Weekday

+ Mary Margaret Semega

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 – 8AM IN CHURCH

Weekday

The Intentions of William James Stenger, Jr. on his birthday

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3– 8AM IN CHURCH

Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Doctor of the Church

+ Dennis Hanson

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4—FIRST REIDAY

4:30 pm: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

5pm: Confessions 5:30 pm: Mass of the Sacred Heart + Anne C. Toselli, on the 5th Anniversary of her death

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

9am: For the healing and renewal of our Church and

Country

4pm: Confessions

5pm: Anticipated Mass

For the living and deceased members of our Parish

AROUND the PARISH

September 12th and 26th following the 9am Mass please join us for a Bible Study on the following Sunday’s readings. We will meet in the Randall Room, but we will move to a larger space for safety's sake if we need more room to spread out.

Come, read, reflect, and hear how God is inviting you to grow closer to Him through His Word and your Brothers and Sisters!

Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet on Sept. 1 and Sept. 15 at 7pm on Belle’s Patio, AKA the Handicap Ramp. Call Pat 274-8632 or Joan 861-6603 for more information.

Mr. Bob is looking for five parishioners to help teach our elementary aged Religious Education students. No experience necessary, only a heart open to God, a willingness to learn, and a deep respect for children. Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, a single person, or a young person, we are called to pass on the Good News. You might not be likely to become a priest, nun, or monk. You might not be given the mission to learn new languages and preach to people you have never met. You certainly might be getting called to teach a small class of St. Sebastian Church's children how to say their prayers, trust in God, and learn what Jesus has done for us! Classes are on Sunday mornings and will be digital until which point we may safely gather in our classrooms again.

Please contact Bob Short at ssricgs@gmail.com and share this invitation to the person in your life that you think has what it takes to do this rewarding and important job!

PARISH PRAYER Requests

If you would like someone included in the Prayers for the Sick, please call the office at 401.751.0196 .

LET US PRAY FOR ALL WHO ARE ILL:

Jacob Blake, Mary Briscoe, Edward O'Neill, Patricia Marie Fister, William Dolan, Chantal Esnault, Samantha Polon, Kathy McGinty - Radocaj, Deirde McQuade, Belle Calenda, Joseph Kennedy, those who live with anxiety, depression, or addiction; those with the Covid Virus let us pray to the Lord. LET US PRAY FOR OUR BELOVED DEAD: All those who die because of gun violence, especially children; Cecelia Jane Magaldi; Edward Francis Kelley; Edward Michael Fogarty; Mary Jo Smith; Mary Margaret Semega; Dennis Hanson; John A. O'Neill,Jr.; Anne C. Toselli.